


May you sleep on the breast of your tender woman companion.

by soldez



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Bisexual Annabeth Chase, Coming Out, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Gay Leo Valdez, Lesbian Piper McLean, Lesbian awakening, M/M, Matchmaking, Multi, Personal Growth, Post-Canon, Post-The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus), Sappho - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-01 22:44:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16774414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soldez/pseuds/soldez
Summary: -Sappho, circa 600 B.C.





	1. The Fall

“And by the way--I love you guys.”

Piper never thought she’d have a pleasant dream while plummeting to her death. Then again, several months ago, Piper had never thought she’d be fighting the goddess of the Earth, thousands of feet in the air with her two best friends, one controlling the wind with an arm around her waist and the other atop a giant bronze dragon with flames covering his body. Piper had been tempted to climb on top of Festus with Leo (Jason’s flying had never been quite as reliable as their old friend) but she was pretty sure she would have been incinerated. Now she wished she’d taken her chances.

A scream escaped her lips as Festus let go, Jason lost consciousness, and they dropped. She might have shouted Leo’s name; she wasn’t sure. The wind whipped so loudly in her ears she could hardly hear herself.

The explosion turned the sky gold. Even from this distance, the heat reached her face and the force of it seemed to push her towards the ground even faster. She opened her mouth to scream once more, but she could already feel reality slipping from her grasp. Her ears popped so forcefully her head seemed to explode.

Piper blacked out.

The heat on her face turned to warmth and Piper realized her eyes were dry. The wind in her ears was gone. The ground was solid at her feet. The warmth, she realized, was on her forehead, where soft lips pressed onto it in a kiss. 

“You have done well,” Aphrodite told her.

“Wha…” Piper pulled back. She was falling to her death right now. Leo had just exploded. Was he okay? Had she and Jason reached the ground yet? If they were in danger, then why did she feel so--

“Tranquil?” Her mother interjected. “You deserve it. You’ve been on edge, my dear.” She chuckled ethereally and brushed a stray hair behind Piper’s ear. Piper swallowed.

“Is this--Am I…” Her hand closed around the vial in her pocket. “Am I dead?”

Aphrodite laughed again, fully this time. “No, darling, you are safe. The Roman eagles are quite good at their jobs. I am here to address a different matter.”

A different matter? “But the quest is over. That explosion was easily enough to--” A horrible thought occurred. “Is Gaea still awake?” Her heart rate picked up. Suddenly, she didn’t feel so tranquil.

Piper didn’t realize she’d drawn her dagger until Aphrodite put a hand on hers to lower it. “Relax, darling. The quest is over. Gaea is asleep and peace has been restored.”

“Oh.” She put the dagger away and her hand shot back to her pocket, to the vial. It was still wrapped safely in tissue, warm to the touch. She didn’t like the uncertain glance Aphrodite shot at it. “So why am I here?”

As she said this, Piper took a moment to look around and was struck by  _ deja vu.  _ They stood on the upper level of Medea’s lair, the mall. Her mother had visited her here on her first quest. She’d possibly learned the true power of her charmspeak here. The whole thing felt like years ago. She instinctively reached out to touch the railing to make sure it was real, though, of course, it wasn’t. 

“The quest is over,” Aphrodite purred, “but  _ your _ quest is just beginning. You are special, my child. Out of all my children, you see in love what they cannot. You see in beauty what cannot be seen. A love as powerful as yours comes once in a century, my dear.” 

Aphrodite began to walk, brushing her hand across the racks of clothes with little interest. Her other hand reached into the folds of her sparkling gown to retrieve a piece of paper. The tranquility from earlier melted away and replaced itself with rage. Piper chased her.

“And you choose to tell me this now? Now, while I’m falling to my death, or-or riding an eagle, or whatever? After just having saved the entire world, I might add? Can’t I get a break, or a ‘thank you’?”

“This is my thanks to you, Piper Mclean.” Piper realized this was the first time Aphrodite had addressed her by name. She didn’t turn to face her, but only stopped and stared beyond the railing at the fountain below. She handed a folded, yellowing piece of paper to Piper. 

“Here.” She closed Piper’s hand around it. “Another daughter of mine wrote this a very long time ago. I suggest you read it.”

Piper looked down. She considered unfolding the paper. She felt silly here, standing in the shopping mall of a dead sorceress, chatting it up with her mom about love while she and her friends were possibly in danger. 

(Part of her knew the danger was over.)

“But wait, mom. You said me and Jason were safe, but what about Leo? What about the rest of them? You--”

She looked up and her mother was gone.

Piper woke slowly, which she wasn’t used to after jolting from so many nightmares in the past few weeks. She recognized Camp Half-Blood’s infirmary. It was more crowded than usual, Greeks and Romans alike treating each other’s wounds after the battle. She and Jason were settled in cots, many of which littered the ground and spilled onto the grass outside. Jason seemed unhurt. She stood, overcame a moment of dizziness, and began to weave her way out. Will Solace caught her arm.

“Hey, whoa,” he said. He had his hands full--literally. One hand was covered in gauze he was about to plaster onto some Roman’s abdomen. “You took a pretty nasty fall. Maybe you should lie back for a bit before going out there. It’s pretty chaotic.”

Piper resisted mentioning how chaotic it was here in the infirmary, but she held her tongue. “I’ll be fine. Give the cot to someone who needs it.” She pried Will’s hand from her arm. “Besides, I need to find the others. I-I…” Another wave of dizziness crashed into her as she pieced together what happened. Festus. Explosion. Leo. “I’m fine.”

Will looked like he wanted to protest, but someone called his name from the other side of the room. She stormed out as soon as he turned away.

There were more cots outside than she thought there’d be, but she supposed she should have expected it. She pushed through the swarm of injured demigods and medics until she reached fresh air. Frantically, she searched for a familiar face, but there were too many people. She took a step back and gasped when she hit the porch of the Big House. Had she really walked that far?

“Need a hand?”

Piper whirled around to find Annabeth standing on the porch. Behind her were Frank, Hazel, and Nico. Annabeth’s tone was amused, but her eyes, usually sparkling like silver, were dull. She took her extended hand and climbed up to join them, ignoring her racing heartbeat.

“Percy went to go get Jason,” Annabeth explained. She pulled her hand away like she hadn’t realized she’d been holding Piper’s for several seconds. “We figured you’d both be up by now.”

“Oh,” Piper said. As if on cue, Percy bounded toward the porch steps with Jason in tow, holding his hand. He seemed as grim as Annabeth, but Jason was too busy blushing. Piper had too many questions to unpack that just yet. 

They sat on the steps together, the tension in the air palpable. Hazel, Nico, and Frank had yet to speak. Hazel looked like she was holding back tears. A thought occurred to her.

“Where’s Leo?”

Piper couldn't remember crying as hard as she did that day.


	2. The Crash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok this is epic

Days passed and Piper had yet to forgive herself. Nightmares wracked her in her sleep, the explosion playing over and over again in her head, each time bloodier and bloodier, and she found it pretty ironic that the best sleep she’d gotten all week was while soaring in the arms of a giant eagle. During daytime, she blundered around camp, helping with repairs and directing her siblings as best as she could. The normalcy of it all was surreal.

Piper wondered if this was the personal quest Aphrodite had meant--getting over Leo’s death. If it was, she figured it would take a lot longer than putting Gaea to sleep had. The yellowed piece of paper still sat where it had materialized in her jacket pocket, untouched. She couldn’t bring herself to look at it just yet--not until she got her head straight.

Lacy broke her out of her thoughts with a soft knock. The rest of the Aphrodite cabin had already left for breakfast. Piper had stayed behind, lost in thought.

“H-Hi, Piper,” Lacy ventured. “Just wanted to make sure you didn’t miss breakfast… um. Yeah.” She coughed.

Piper understood why her sister was nervous. She’d been an emotional wreck these past few days, sobbing one minute and snapping at people the next. If Piper had found her unstable, pajama-clad half-sibling staring blankly at the wall of her bed, in the same position she’d been in for the past half-hour, she’d be nervous too. Still, she hated intimidating her cabin-mates, especially Lacy. In the months before their quest while Leo had been busy with the Argo II, Piper had grown fond of her half-sister. Lacy, despite being taller than her, was only fourteen, and had come to Piper for advice. She’d had a crush on Leah from the Hermes cabin, a tough girl with short-cropped hair and a big mouth. The two were dating now. Piper smiled at the memory.

“Thanks, Lacy.” She softened her tone. “Sorry, I kinda spaced for a second.”

Lacy smiled sheepishly and ducked back outside. Immediately, Piper heard muffled giggles of “babe, stop!” and the sounds of kissing. Piper felt wistful before shaking the feeling away.

She hadn’t seen Jason in a few days. To most daughters of Aphrodite, the idea of parting with one’s boyfriend for more than an hour seemed unthinkable. She and he had been through a lot, though, and Piper kind of needed the extra space to think. She’d spent the last few days after Hazel and Frank left making repairs with Annabeth and mourning. Annabeth had proven to be a bigger comfort than most would think. She was patient when Piper broke down, and knew to hold her quietly when she cried. Annabeth liked to run from her emotions, and while Piper knew that couldn’t be healthy for Annabeth, she kind of appreciated the normalcy she brought by pretending everything was fine. Still, she’d have to talk that out with her when she got the chance. They weren’t the closest of friends, but Piper knew Annabeth had been fond of Leo.

The funeral was today. Days ago, Piper wouldn’t have been able to attend without being consumed by guilt. Now, she just felt numb. She supposed she should get dressed, so she forced herself to stand and trudge to the bathroom.

She realized she’d forgotten her clothes after closing and locking the door. She didn’t go back and get them. Instead, she turned on the shower and got undressed, suddenly shaking. She hoped the steam would make it stop, but she only shook harder. Her eyes settled on an electric razor Mitch had left behind. 

This wasn’t about Leo. Piper knew that now. True, she wasn’t over the guilt, or the loss--she had just lost her best friend--but she had a sinking feeling that Aphrodite had come to talk to her about something completely different. Something she hadn’t been ready to face until now. Steam filled the room.

It scared her how much she cared for Leo. How much she loved him. The truth was, Piper loved Leo just as much as Jason. They were her best friends. She wasn’t supposed to love Jason, though, she was supposed to  _ love  _ him. She was supposed to look into his eyes and run her hands through his long, blonde, hair, and feel her heart pound as she stared into deep, grey eyes--

Piper realized she was sobbing. The mirror was foggy. Her eyes were still on the electric razor.

In a daze, she picked it up from the counter and turned it on. It buzzed gently. Piper laughed breathlessly. She raised it to her scalp.

Before she realized what she was doing, Piper shaved off a chunk of her long, dark hair. Then another. Then, with new relish, she drove the razor straight down the middle of her scalp, letting the hair fall to the floor. Piper felt lighter and lighter until, finally, all the hair on her head lay in a circle around her feet and she stared into the foggy mirror at herself.

She guessed she should get in the shower.

An hour and some soap later, no one had the courage to ask her about it. She trudged to the bonfire where Leo’s funeral was held (since there was no body to bury or burn, Nico had found the fire appropriate. He’d ran the idea by Piper a few days ago, and she’d almost cried with how perfect it was). She found Jason sitting in the front row, and they met eyes. She sat with Annabeth, two rows down.

“You okay?” Annabeth inquired. Piper appreciated her not gaping at the improvised buzzcut. Her bright shirt brought out her pale, glimmering eyes. Not that that mattered.

“No,” Piper said, squeezing in next to her. “I don’t think I will be for a while.” Annabeth put a hand over hers and her brain short-circuited. “Uh, I mean… yeah.”

The ceremony was nice. She managed to remain somewhat dignified in her crying, unlike the uncontrollable sobbing she’d made a habit of in the past few days. Nico was as teary as Piper had ever seen him, conducting the ceremony, and Piper had a sneaking suspicion she knew why--not that she’d ever have the courage to confront the son of Hades about it. 

Even though they didn’t have a body, some people still stood to say a few words to the flaming pit. Jason was one of them. Piper decided to stay put, and Annabeth seemed to understand. She put an arm around her, and Piper didn’t protest. 

She squeezed her eyes shut and pretended none of this had happened. It was stupid, but she missed being on the Argo II with all her friends, sailing toward uncertain death. At least then, death had been uncertain. At least then, she hadn’t had to worry about--

“Uh, Piper?” Annabeth’s voice was tentative.

She sat up, heat rising to her face. “Y-yeah?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong.” She visibly swallowed. “Because I very well could be wrong. But, is that a bronze dragon?”

Piper looked up.

She hardly had time to yell “Scatter!” before a giant, golden mass crashed into the bonfire. Luckily, her charmspeak worked, and everyone was able to leap out of the way on time, even Jason, who was right next to the fire, paying his respects. Flaming logs and embers flew in every direction, and the altar with Leo’s picture on it burst into flames, along with all the lovely flowers that framed it. She could have sworn she heard a distinct holler of  _ “Yabba-dabba-doo!”  _ But it wasn’t… it couldn’t be…

“What’s up, gamers?” Leo Valdez jumped off of Festus into the ruined pit, effectively setting his shoes on fire.

Piper had never wanted to murder a dead man more in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuck canon lol


	3. The Deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok valdangelo time lol

“Whoa. Nice haircut, Beauty Queen. A lot happen while I was out?”

Piper had thought she was done sobbing. She was not. She wanted to scream and throw things. A million different ways to send him back to the Underworld for scaring her like that flashed through her mind in an instant. Instead, she threw herself into a bone-crushing hug and cried; not her proudest moment.

“Hey, whoa…” Leo tried to hug back, but his arms were pinned. He seemed to be having trouble breathing. Piper didn’t care. “It’s okay. I’m--”

"You’re  _ alive _ ?” Jason said, incredulously. A little late, but he got the spirit. 

“Uh, yeah.” Leo looked uncomfortable. Piper could imagine why. “Well, I wasn’t, but… yeah.”

She reluctantly let Leo go, who was now wheezing, and wiped her face as Jason, Percy, and Annabeth, followed by Leo’s siblings at the Hephaestus cabin, followed by practically everyone at camp, moved in to hug, smooch, or inflict pain on him as they saw fit. Will Solace, who had been in the front row as Nico’s emotional support, began directing a single-file line. There was a story to be told, but Piper figured she would wait to interrogate him until that night at the campfire. She still couldn’t believe this was real life.

“Leo,” an unfamiliar voice spoke. “What’s a ‘gamer’?”

A girl with long, cinnamon-brown hair emerged from the back of the dragon. She looked to be about fifteen, and Piper might have found her attractive were it not for her old eyes, setting off  _ Not Mortal  _ alarm bells in Piper’s brain. She took Leo’s arm like she was afraid of the army of demigods moving in to embrace her escort.

“Sorry, but who is this?” Nico spoke up. The tears from earlier were gone, and he was back to his usual scowl, directed straight at the girl.

“Right,” he coughed. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is--”

“Calypso.” She didn’t meet Nico’s glare, but her voice was confident and defensive. 

Oh.  _ Oh.  _ Leo had more explaining to do than Piper had thought. 

Everyone had heard of Calypso. Before the battle, before the explosion, and the fall, and the week of emotional turmoil that followed, Piper had been waiting for a chance to ask Leo about his time on Ogygia. Apparently, it had been a good enough time for him to head straight back there before letting his best friends know he was okay. She took a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time--but gods, was she going to hound him when she got the chance.

“It’s… it’s good to meet you,” Jason said awkwardly. “And it’s good to have you back, man,” Piper realized he was wiping tears from his eyes.

“It’s good to have you both here,” Percy said. “Seriously.” Calypso’s head shot up at his voice to glare at him. He swallowed whatever else he was about to say and stepped back.

“So, did I just interrupt my funeral?” Leo glanced around like he was just noticing where they were. “I swear, you guys have no faith in me. It’s only been, like, four hours.”

Piper frowned. “Leo, it’s been days.”

“Oh.” He swallowed. “Well, nothing like flying to Ogygia to mess up your internal clock. And, uh--dying. I had the cure hooked up to Festus, but I guess it took longer than I thought to work.”

Will stared at Leo with a sort of professional interest. “Wild… so the cure brought you to life  _ and  _ healed all your injuries from blowing up? All due respect, ‘cause I know it wasn’t easy to get, but… you guys got another bottle or two of that stuff?”

“Ah. Fresh out.” Leo shook his head. “And, uh, it didn’t exactly… heal everything. Cal patched me up pretty good.”

“Cal?” Nico grunted.

“Uh. You okay, man?”

“Nico.” Annabeth shot him a warning glare. 

“Annabeth.” He shot one back.

Their silent staring contest only lasted about half a second, but it seemed to hold an entire discussion. Finally, Nico broke eye contact.

“Whatever,” he grumbled and melted into a pool of darkness. Will, who had sat back down in a chair now that the excitement had died down somewhat, leaped out of his seat.

“Gods--oh, for f--NICO!” He sprinted in the direction of the Hades cabin, presumably to make sure Nico didn’t die.

Piper felt the emotional roller coaster she’d been on come to a halt, and she had the urge to run to the nearest trash can and vomit. Of course she had questions, and, of course, she wanted a word or two with Calypso. But the funeral, followed by such a sudden reunion had left her emotionally exhausted. Annabeth seemed to read her mind.

“It’s good to have you back, Leo. I’m sure you’ll have a lot to tell us at the bonfire tonight.” Her voice was admirably even. “Piper, let’s go find someone to help clean up this mess so it’ll be ready by tonight.”

“Right!” Percy was bouncing with either excitement or anxiety under the accusing glare Calypso hadn’t trained away from him. “I’d better go Iris-message Hazel and Frank. Gah, love you, man.” He gave Leo a fat kiss on the cheek, which seemed to catch him by surprise. “Jason, come with?”

“Uh, o--”

“Great!”

Jason scrambled to keep up as Percy grabbed his hand and sprinted towards the nearest fountain. Annabeth smiled and offered her own hand to Piper. She accepted and ducked out of the excited crowd. They walked and didn’t stop until they were by the cabins, far enough from the bonfire that it was quiet. Piper tried to ignore it when Annabeth laced her fingers through hers.

“Thanks for that,” Piper said once they’d settled on the front steps of the nearest cabin. “I’m getting emotional whiplash.”

Annabeth breathed a laugh. “Don’t mention it. You looked like you were about to throw up.”

Piper winced. “Sorry, it’s just… it’s not just the Leo thing. Something my mom told me…”

“Does that have anything to do with what you did to your hair?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but then realized she could hear voices nearby. Piper frowned. She’d thought everyone but Jason and Percy were back by the firepit. Annabeth exchanged a glance with her, then nodded behind them to where the voices were coming from.

“... but we don’t  _ know  _ that,” Will was saying. Heat rose to Piper’s face; she’d forgotten the Hades cabin was occupied. She knew they shouldn’t have been listening, but Annabeth looked just as curious. She winked, as if to tell Piper,  _ I won’t tell if you won’t,  _ and Piper couldn’t argue with that. Annabeth’s smile sent a happy shiver up her spine.

“Listen,” Will continued. “I’m all for dramatically running off from your lover--”

“He’s  _ not  _ my lover,” Nico insisted, voice muffled as if it were buried in a pillow.

“--and waiting for him to find you, and beg for your forgiveness outside your window, holding a stereo above his head. I get that. And Leo would totally do that for you. But wouldn’t it be a lot more, I don’t know, romantic if you weren’t dead on the floor by the time he showed up?”

“He’s not coming. He barely even knows I exist.” Nico inhaled sharply and Will snickered as if he’d revealed something he hadn’t meant to. “And I don’t even like him,” he barked hastily.

“I swear to the gods, Nico, you are so dense.” There was a loud shuffle and a grunt, as Will flopped down next to Nico on the bed. “Why do you  _ insist  _ on closing yourself off to everyone around you?”

“It’s just not something a bottom like you could fathom.”

Piper clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Annabeth snorted. Will cackled at full volume for about five seconds until Piper heard a dull  _ smack  _ and an  _ “owie!” _ .

“Whatever, Mr. Prince of Darkness. Gatorade?”

“Please.”

There was some more shuffling, and Piper decided they should probably move before one of the boys decided to come outside. She tugged on Annabeth’s shirt, and the two tiptoed away from the door. It wasn’t until they were sitting on Annabeth’s bed in the Athena cabin, safely out of earshot that they burst into frantic giggles.

“I  _ knew  _ it,” Piper declared.

“Are you kidding? That kid has been pining for months. I’m surprised it didn’t get in the way of our quest.”

Piper smirked despite herself. “I think we have another kind of quest on our hands.”

Realization crossed Annabeth’s face. “No. You wouldn’t.”

“Why not? It’s not like Leo doesn’t like him back!”

“He does?”

“I  _ know  _ Leo, just like you know Nico. C’mon, they were made for each other. It’ll be fun.” Piper felt like her siblings in the Aphrodite cabin who ran around playing “matchmaker” all day, often with catastrophic results. This was different though--Leo was her best friend, and she  _ knew  _ he was too much of an idiot to make a move on Nico. Now that she knew Nico liked him back, well… Piper needed something to occupy herself with. In no way was it an excuse to spend more time with Annabeth.

Annabeth hesitated, then laughed. She offered her hand to shake.

“Whatever you say, Aphrodite.” She agreed. “Let’s play matchmaker.”

Piper had never been so excited to start a quest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this felt really awkward but whatever stay tuned for burger date


	4. The Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> major trigger warning for the q-slur! it's the internalized homophobia :(

Of all the places Piper expected to be at 12:08 AM that night, the counter of a Mcdonald's in Brooklyn was not one of them. 

The bonfire had been chaotic. Everyone at camp had at least one question for Leo, and twice as many for Calypso. He told them how he’d rebuilt Festus in the walls of the ship, given him the cure, and used the navigator and crystal to travel back to Ogygia. Calypso, getting more comfortable with her audience by the minute, described how Leo had crash landed on her island, bleeding out from what had been fatal wounds, and how she’d stitched him up with a sewing needle after letting him know what an idiot he was. Apparently, Ogygia had some kind of healing magic about it to ensure that no one on it could die, so it had only taken a few minutes for him to heal before they had set back out and crashed right into Camp Half-Blood. Piper decided she wasn’t that mad at Leo for going back for Calypso--she wasn’t half bad.

After Calypso had described how long she’d lived on the island, she’d drowned in questions.

“For  _ how  _ long?”

“So you’ve _ never _ had chicken nuggets?”

“ _ No Mcdonald’s _ ?”

That last question had struck a nerve with Leo, as if it had never occurred to him that Calypso had never had a processed burger before. At about 11:30, most campers had been sent to bed, but Leo, Calypso, Piper, Annabeth, Percy, Jason, Nico, and Will were allowed to stay and catch up. The second Chiron left, Leo pushed them into a huddle.

“Okay, guys,” he whispered solemnly. “We  _ have  _ to go to Mcdonalds.”

“Is no one going to tell me what a ‘Mcdonalds’ is?” Calypso complained.

“I’m in,” Nico said immediately.

Leo grinned. “Then it’s settled. We leave at dawn.”

“Or,” Percy offered, “we could leave right now. Y’know, while there’s actually no one around.”

“Are you people serious?” Calypso grumbled.

“In no sense of the word,” Leo ensured her. “Let’s roll.”

“Fine,” said Jason.

“I guess this is happening,” said Annabeth.

“Wig,” said Will.

In an unpredictable series of events, the gang had grabbed their wallets and crowded onto Festus, Blackjack, and Tempest, and snuck out of camp on a wild Mcdonalds escapade. Piper had squeezed between Percy and Annabeth on Blackjack. In the corner of her eye, she saw Jason and Nico situated awkwardly on Jason’s wind spirit and Leo sitting on Will’s lap with Calypso on Festus’ lower back. They rode to Brooklyn in what was probably the strangest teen getaway on Earth. Percy suggested they pull up at the drive-thru.

Now, Piper stood at the front of the line, ordering for herself and Annabeth. She decided on two milkshakes and a large order of fries to share. When she turned back, Annabeth was deep in discussion with Nico. She caught her eye, and Annabeth winked back at her. The mission must have been underway. She opted to sit by Leo, who was shoving fries up his nose.

“I don’t understand,” Calypso was saying. “It smells like salt and plastic.”

Piper was impressed that she knew what plastic was, but Leo persisted. “It’s a cheeseburger--just try it! It’s, like, a rite of passage into our friend group.”

Calypso wrinkled her nose. “Who said I want to be one of you?”

Leo looked like he was about to say something else, but Piper cut him off.

“Hey, Leo.” She nodded to him. “Come sit with me?”

“Uh.” He seemed to notice that it wasn’t a request. “Sure.”

They sat at a table near Jason and Percy, who seemed to be in the midst of a staring contest. Piper was sure to give Annabeth and Nico plenty of space. The last thing she wanted was for Leo to think she was setting him up. He quietly observed Jason and Percy over Piper’s shoulder, sipping on a milkshake.

“So,” Piper began.

“So,” Leo reiterated.

“So, what’s your deal with Calypso?” She leaned in like she was telling a secret. “She’s not, like, your  _ girlfriend,  _ is she?”

Leo choked on his burger. “ _ Girlfriend? _ ”

She snorted and handed him a napkin. She waited for him to finish coughing and wipe his face. “So, no, then?”

“Listen.” He looked over his shoulder. “Part of Cal’s curse was that she fell in love with anyone who showed up. She…” He hesitated like the memory was painful. “She kissed me. Once. And I love the girl, really, but it wasn’t really real, y’know? Like, she didn’t have a choice. Plus, she’s been on that island for centuries, right, and I’m, like, fifteen, so I just don’t think that--”

“Leo, Leo, calm down.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “So, you don’t like her that way. That’s fine. That’s more than fine.”

He calmed down, but the guilt on his face didn’t leave. She tried to think of something encouraging to say--something that would let him know he could tell her anything. Before she could, Nico stood from his booth on the other side of the restaurant and marched toward them. Annabeth gave her a thumbs up.

“Leo.” Nico couldn’t seem to stop clenching and unclenching his fists. “Can--Um, can I sit here?” He pointed to the seat next to him.

“Oh,” Leo whispered. He cleared his throat. “Uh, sure, man. Go ahead.”

“Here.” Piper shot out of her seat across from him. “Go ahead and take this one.”

Leo’s eyes widened, and he stared after her, betrayed. Nico thanked her and sat across from Leo. Piper scurried over to Annabeth with their fries and shakes.

“For me?” Annabeth asked, accepting her shake.

“Of course.” Piper popped a fry in her mouth. “I can’t believe you convinced Nico to do that. I was getting nowhere with Leo.”

“Honestly, I’m not sure either. He must have really wanted to talk to him.”

“So, what’s he doing now?”

“Asking him out, I think.”

Piper dropped the fry in her hand. “No way.”

Will appeared out of nowhere, scooting next to Piper and pushing her to the other end of the booth. He nabbed a sip of her milkshake, and Piper was too shocked to mind.

“Hey, ladies. What are we talking about?”

“Nico asking Leo out.”

“WHAT?”

“ _ WHAT? _ ” Leo demanded from the other side of the restaurant.

Piper and Will whirled around. Leo was standing over Nico with hands in his hair. His milkshake was on its side, leaking onto the table. Leo didn’t seem to notice.

Nico’s eyes darted back and forth like he was searching for the nearest exit. The whole restaurant was staring. “Look, Leo, I didn’t mean to… I just thought--”

“What? Th-that I liked guys? I’m not--I can’t--I’m not GAY!”

A shadow fell across Nico’s face. He stood to look him in the eye. “Yeah, well, good on you for announcing that to the whole room. It wasn’t that big a deal. And thanks for outing me in public, too; I really appreciate it.”

“Look, man, you shouldn’t have taken me by surprise like that! I can’t believe you thought I was... I--”

“--can’t control your tone in a public setting? If I didn’t know that before, I sure as hell do now. I swear to Hades, you’re the MOST immature person I’ve ever met. I can’t believe I thought for a second that you’d react like a normal human being! I-I can’t believe I fucking LIKED you!”

By now the shouting match had attracted the attention of several Mcdonald’s employees. Leo’s face was bright red. Nico looked to be on the verge of tears. Jason and Percy, sitting in the booth next to them, looked wildly conflicted on whether they should interject. Percy had his pen Riptide out, as if he was willing to physically interject if things got serious. Jason looked like a lost puppy.

“YEAH, WELL AT LEAST I’M NOT A--”

“Don’t.”

Nico’s eyes filled with challenge. His fists clenched. He dared Leo to finish his sentence.

“At least I’m not a queer.”

Percy dropped his pen.

Will spilled Piper’s milkshake.

Annabeth audibly gasped. 

Nico smiled sadly, like he’d been waiting to hear it. He melted under the table and shadow-traveled out of the building without a word.

Piper had never seen so much tension fill the air of a Mcdonalds before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK NEXT CHAPTER SHOULD BE PRETTY SOON i just ended bc it was getting long


	5. The Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my heart is so raw rignt now i feel like a wild chimpanzee. i feel like ive been skinned alive right now .

Leo stood alone, huffing.

“Whatever,” he mumbled, and flew out the front door.

“Leo, wait–” Piper tried. He was already gone. Silence filled the restaurant. Seconds passed.

“Piper,” Calypso started cautiously. Piper hadn’t realized she’d been right in the booth next to her. “What’s a ‘queer’?”

Piper couldn’t find her voice to answer.

Jason ignored her. “Piper, c’mon. Leo.” He took her arm and started out the door.

Percy stood and moved to Annabeth. “Let’s find Nico.”

Piper let him drag her outside, still in shock. This was her fault. She never should have tried to set the two up. She’d been too caught up in her own selfishness, her own uncertainty, and her own heart. Percy pulled Annabeth along in the opposite direction in a similar fashion. Piper and Jason turned the corner to the other side of the building, where a dumpster sat under dim fluorescent lights. She heard faint sniffling. Decisively, she pulled her arm from Jason’s grip.

“You need to stay here,” Piper told him.

“What? Pipes–”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I have to talk to him alone. Just trust me, okay?”

Jason shook his head. “I do, Piper, I do, Just…” He threw his arms up and down again. “I feel like you’ve been avoiding me. Are we never going to talk? About the quest, about Leo dying… about what you did to your hair? You’re killing me, Pipes.”

Piper paused. Now was really, really not the time. The truth was, she had been avoiding Jason. She was confused and avoiding confrontation. There was one thing she was certain of, though–Piper was not in love with Jason Grace.

“Jason,” she said. “We need to break up.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry.”

“ _What_?”

“We have to break up.”

“No, I heard you, just…” Jason put his hands to his face once, then twice. Piper really wished he’d just decide what to do with his arms. “What? That’s what you’ve been avoiding me about? And you choose now of all times to tell me?”

“You’re the one who brought it up!”

“No, I didn’t. You said–”

“Just!” Piper whirled around, turning back to the dumpster. “Don’t follow me.”

“Wait, Piper–”

“Go back inside.”

She didn’t look back. Piper forced her shoulders to stop shaking in the chill night air. In the past twenty-four hours, she’d cut off several inches of her hair; she’d destroyed a blossoming friendship between her best friend and his thought-to-be-crush; and now she’d just broken up with her boyfriend. For now, she wasn’t going to think about it. Leo needed her.

The small form of her best friend appeared on the other side of the dumpster, right beside the back door. He sat with his knees to his chin, not crying, but shivering violently. He stared at nothing in particular, not acknowledging Piper’s presence.

“Hey,” she tried.

No answer.

“So…” She sat down next to him. The concrete was wet and cold. “Mind telling me what that was?”

“I get it,” Leo finally said. “I suck. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You shouldn’t have,” Piper agreed.

He raised his head away from his knees so Piper could hear him clearly. “So, is that it then? Because I’d really like to continue hating myself in peace if you don’t mind.”

“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” Piper admitted. “Annabeth and I tried to set you up.”

Leo blinked. “What.”

Piper was growing tired of that word.

“I’m sorry! I-I thought you liked him. Gods, I’m so sorry, Leo. If I had known–”

“No!” Leo ran his hands through his hair. His voice shook. “Piper, I… Please don’t be sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

The back door swung open, and both their heads swung up. In the light that flooded out, she could see Leo’s watery and bloodshot eyes. Will’s head appeared.

“NICO–oh.” He glowered. “You.”

Will ducked back inside and shut the door. Leo’s head went back between his knees.

“He didn’t mean that,” Piper ensured. “Nico’s his best friend. He’s protective.”

“Right,” Leo scoffed. “Like you guys don’t hate me now.”

Piper softened her voice. “Leo, we could never hate you.” She put a little charmspeak into her words, hoping it would help. “I really thought you liked him like that. I was wrong.”

“You were right.”

Piper shifted. She didn’t press. Instead, she let silence pass, only moving to scooch closer for warmth.

After a few minutes, she spoke. “So, what happened?”

Leo giggled. Then, he threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing in the empty alleyway. Silent tears streamed down his cheeks.

“I don’t KNOW! Gods, I don’t fucking KNOW anymore, Piper! I’m gay!”

“You’re gay.” Piper nodded. “Okay.”

“But I don’t wanna be gay, Piper. I _can’t_ be.” Leo was growing more hysterical, words blending into sobs. “I can’t be.” Piper turned to face him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Piper fought back tears. Leo’s words hit her harder than they should have. _I can’t be gay_. She swallowed, hard.

“You’re allowed to feel what you feel, Leo. You can’t control it. Love is a powerful thing.”

_A love as powerful as yours comes once in a century._

“Gods, I’m pathetic,” Leo hiccuped. “Pining after girls is eh-easy, but when it’s up close, when it’s real… fuck, with Calypso, I-I can’t… An-and I tried to ignore it, on the quest, I tried to act like I was jealous of-of Fuh-Frank, and of Jason, but I just, I, wuh–”

“Shh.” She let him collapse into her arms.

She wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, on the hard, wet ground by the Mcdonald’s dumpster. Leo eventually calmed down, cries slowing into sniffles and sniffles slowing into shaky breaths.

“I thought you’d hate me,” Leo whispered.

“Leo.” Piper nudged his face out of her shoulder and took it in her hands. She put every fiber of her being into her next words. “I need you to hear this. We could never hate you–none of us. We’re mad at you, sometimes.” She forced a laugh. “The gods know I was after you ran off and died for four days. But we could never, _ever_ hate you. Being gay is… is…”

“Sickening?” he offered. “Vomit-inducing?”

Piper laughed despite herself. “No, Leo, it’s…”

_You are special, my child._

“I think I’m a lesbian,” Piper said.

Piper laughed. It escaped her throat like it had been bubbling up there her whole life. Soon, she was cackling with her whole body, head thrown up to the stars. Leo laughed, too. They sat in each others’ arms, jeans soaked from mud, shivering and laughing at the top of their lungs. Ten thousand pounds of pressure lifted off of her shoulders.

Piper had never had a better gay best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok wig


	6. The Bathroom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> literally spent all day writing this instead of the 2 essays i need to do and the test i need to study for....... pretty epic of me if you think about it

The ride back to camp was awkward, to say the least.

Once Piper and Leo composed themselves enough, they headed back inside through the back door. The Mcdonalds employees were not impressed, and since Piper didn’t like to charmspeak mortals, they slipped back out of the building pretty quickly. They found Percy, Annabeth, and Jason looking all sorts of uncomfortable out front, but there was no sign of Will or Calypso. They grew more anxious the longer they searched. After some time, Annabeth pulled a coin from her pocket and Iris-messaged Will using a nearby drainage ditch. She let out a massive breath of relief when his face and Calypso’s shoulder came into focus. They seemed to be deep in discussion.

“... should go off on him, babe, I’m just saying, if you feel like he--”

“Will!” Annabeth snapped.

“AAH!” Will replied.

Will explained how he’d gone searching for Nico after the fight to no avail. Cast aside and ignored, he’d taken Calypso to the Waffle House across the street. She hadn’t cared much for the cheeseburger, but a Belgian waffle loaded with cinnamon and the Vermont maple syrup Will kept in his coat for emergencies hit the spot. He gave her the run-down of what had happened and explained a few terms she would need to add to her vocabulary in order to keep up (‘wig flew,’ ‘scalped,’ etc.). They’d been in the middle of complaining about dramatic friends when Annabeth called.

As happy as Piper was that Calypso was making connections, she wished she would stop saying “wig.” In an effort to avoid any confrontations until at least the next day, Piper had crammed herself onto Festus with Leo and Calypso before anyone else could. Nico had dragged himself out of the shadows and fallen asleep on Percy’s shoulder a while before, leaving Percy to situate him on Blackjack, and Annabeth to ride with Jason and Will (Piper wasn’t sure she’d seen so much blonde in one place before). Calypso kept on pointing at various constellations or exciting landforms, exclaiming “wig, sis.” When Piper asked why, Calypso told her that Will had instructed her to practice her vocabulary. 

At five in the morning, a few minutes out from camp, Leo fell asleep at the wheel--or, rather, the reigns. It might have just looked like he was resting his head on Festus’s neck after a long and stressful day, were it not for the familiar snoring. Piper loved the kid, but with his attitude combined with his sleeping habits, she had to wonder if she’d ever find him a boyfriend. Piper gave him a pass on account of that he’d literally been dead within the past forty-eight hours, and took the reigns. They landed in the middle of the quiet camp.

Nico wasn’t much better than Leo, but at least Percy seemed to have it handled. He slung Nico over his shoulder and trudged to the Hades cabin the moment they landed, after a brief farewell to Blackjack. Piper couldn’t help but be a little jealous of Nico for his ability to sleep through so much. She and Calypso slid off of Festus, and she lightly slapped Leo’s face.

“Hey, kiddo,” Piper mumbled tiredly. “We’re home. Up and at ‘em.”

Will appeared out of nowhere and smacked Leo on the back of the head. “WAKE UP, ASSHOLE.”

Leo snorted and slid off the dragon to the grass.

“Dude, what th--”

“Hello?”

Piper whirled around to face the unfamiliar voice while Leo scrambled to his feet.

Jake Manson jogged in place in running shorts and bright sneakers. Since his broken leg had healed, Jake had taken to putting it to use as much as possible, jogging as much as he could. Apparently, five thirty in the morning was a reasonable, if early start for him. Piper wondered how on earth he and Leo were related. 

“Leo? I thought I heard you come to bed. What are you guys doing out here?” Jake frowned. “Why is Festus out of the bunker?”

“Jake! Bro!” Leo had grass in his hair and a little bit of dried drool on his cheek. “We were just enjoying a morning jog. Nice day for it, huh?”

The pitch black sky was hardly visible through the fog.

“... In crusty jeans and industrial boots?”

“I like a challenge.”

Jake ratted them out. Leo threatened to put him on cleaning duty at the cabin for a month, but Jake just brushed him off. While Leo was head of the Hephaestus cabin in title, Piper was pretty sure the title meant nothing since any one of his half-siblings could beat him up if they wanted to (even eight-year-old Harley).

Their punishment for sneaking out was to clean the bathroom by the Big House. Calypso was excused on account of not knowing the rules, and Nico had gotten to his cabin before they got caught. Piper considered snitching on him, but she held her tongue after remembering what Will had said about shadow-traveling. Nico had been so upset, he’d used his powers recklessly, and it was partially Piper’s fault. Instead, she grabbed a sponge and got to work.

The bathroom near the Big House resembled a locker room at a public swimming pool. While most of the cabins had their own toilets and showers, practically everyone used the one by the Big House during the day. The concrete floors were always wet for some reason or another, a lost water bottle or hairbrush always found its way to the bench, and the less Piper thought about the toilets the better. She couldn’t help but pity Jason, Nico, and Percy, who didn’t have their own showers. 

“Let’s start with the floors,” Annabeth said once they stood inside. “They’re the least intimidating.

Unfortunately, the bathroom was gender-neutral, meaning Piper couldn’t avoid Jason. There was also only one mop. While Annabeth mopped the floor, Jason summoned the winds so he could dust the tops of the lockers and pick up the trash kids had thrown up there. Piper decided she’d start on the sinks, and began to scrub.

It wasn’t long before Jason appeared at her side.

“Good time to talk?”

“The lockers aren’t clean.”

“So, I’ll help you with the sinks.”

“You don’t have a sponge.”

“Can I use that one?”

“Will’s using that one.”

Piper kicked Will, who was arguing with Percy over whether or not his powers were an effective method of cleaning and unclogging toilets.

“Look, Jackson, I don’t care if you think you’re a professional plumber. You’re forgetting that I was there the last time you blew these very toilets t-- _ ow! _ ” Will spun around, then saw the look on Piper’s face. “Oh. Uh.” He grabbed the sponge, then made no move to act like he was helping. “Yeah, sorry, Jason.”

Jason ignored him. “Pipes, you can’t ignore me forever. And you can’t just leave me in the dark like this.” He took her hand tenderly as if he’d forgotten all about their last conversation. “Talk to me.”

His touch sent a shiver of rage up Piper’s spine. “Haven’t we done enough talking, Jason? I thought I pretty much made myself clear last night.”

Jason blinked. “You were being serious?”

Piper ripped her hand out of his. “Do I look like I’m joking right now, Jason?” The look on his face told her ‘no.’ “Listen, I’d love to talk to you later, as a  _ friend.  _ Right now, you need to stop being such a--”

“Piper, if there’s something I did, I’m--”

“ _ Do not  _ cut me off right now.”

Jason gulped. Piper realized her dagger was out. She sighed and sheathed it. 

“Jason,” she said as calmly as she could. “If you want to talk, you’re going to have to listen. Can you do that for me?”

“I’m all ears,” Jason assured.

“So, is no one going to clean the sinks, or--”

“Not now, Percy,” they snapped in unison.

Percy winced and motioned to Will to give them some space. They moved towards the lockers to help Annabeth and Leo.

“Jason, I get that this is hard for you,” Piper said. “You know you’re my best friend.”

“And you’re mine,” Jason confirmed. “So, why do we have to break up? I really… I really thought we had something good.”

“Leo’s your best friend, too.”

Jason frowned. “Yeah, of course, he is. But what--”

“So, do you want to date Leo?”

Jason stammered. “WH--I--Of course not, I… I want to date you.”

Piper shook her head. “I’m sorry, Jason. I just don’t like you in that way.”

She hesitated, ready to tell him more. Sure, Jason was dense, but he really was her best friend. He deserved to know.

“Also, I’ve… I’ve come to realize a few things recently. I’m--”

“Guys,  _ GUYS,  _ break it up!” Percy’s yell, and the shouting that followed it cut her off. She gave Jason one last look before storming towards the locker area to see what fresh bullshit was going on now.

Piper forgot all about Jason the moment they stepped through the door frame.

Leo stood pressed against a locker with Will’s feet kicking only inches away from him. He seemed unhurt at a glance, but his eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his sockets in surprise and terror, and his chest heaved rapidly. Piper looked closely and found a fresh bruise forming on his cheek. As for Will, Percy had physically restrained him by holding him under the armpits, leaving him to flail his legs uselessly beyond the bench Leo hid behind. He had a frightening kind of rage in his eye, one that Piper found all too familiar. Later, she would recognize it as the same look Leo or Jason took on when protecting her.

Still, Piper had never seen Will like this. She’d never known him well enough to, she supposed. Will had always been the mediator, calm and supportive. She knew from Percy that Will had never been good with fighting, even with archery, despite his godly parent. Judging from the placement of the bruise and his failure to escape Percy’s awkward grip, that much hadn’t changed. He kept screaming incoherently and spewing random obscenities, until Percy clamped a hand over his mouth, hugging him around the torso with his other arm.

Piper tried to imagine someone saying what Leo had said to Nico to either one of her best friends, and she understood. She would have fucking murdered them.

“ _ MMF MM-HMM HMM-MM HM!”  _ Will tried to scream around Percy’s hand.

“Dude,” Leo finally stammered, breathless. “You’re fucking crazy.”

This seemed to invoke a new fit of rage in Will, who kicked harder and wiggled, if only for a moment, out of Percy’s one-handed grip. “ _ YEAH? YEAH? WELL, GUESS WHAT, FUCKER, I’M-- _ ”

“Annabeth!” Percy called for help. Annabeth dropped the mop she’d been frozen in place with and rushed to his side to help. Once Will was safely restrained, Percy looked him in the eye.

“Okay,” he said. “I’m going to take my hand off of your mouth. But you have to promise to speak calmly, quietly, and coherently. Blink once if you can do that, twice if you can’t.”

Will stared at him furiously, still clawing at his arm.

“Okay, I’m gonna take that as a ‘yes.’” Percy slowly removed his hand. Surprisingly, Will took a deep breath. He spoke calmly.

“You--”

“Will?”

Six heads whirled around to the bathroom entrance at once. Leo hit his head on the locker he pressed against and yelped.

Nico di Angelo stood at the entrance with a towel slung over his shoulder, unmoving. All eyes turned back to Will.

“Nico,” he tried. “I--”

Nico turned around and left.

“Shit,” Will grumbled.

Piper’s sentiments exactly.

Will stopped struggling, arms gone limp in Percy’s and Annabeth’s grips. “You can let me go now,” he said. “I’m not gonna bite.” Hesitantly, they did. Will flopped down on the bench as if all the energy had drained from his body. Leo wouldn’t stop hugging the locker.

“Can you two sort this out reasonably now?” Annabeth inquired. “Or am I going to have to get the handcuffs?”

Will trained his eyes on the ground by Leo’s feet. Leo stared at him like he was a feral sewer rat.

“Um, hi,” Leo finally said. “Sorry for, uh… calling your best friend a slur and all that.”

“It’s okay,” Will said. “Well, no, it’s not okay, but… sorry for punching you in the face.”

“That’s okay,” Leo said. “You’re not very good at it.”

A silence fell over the room. Piper realized she’d been frozen and silent throughout the entire event, and still didn’t move.

“Does it help that I’m gay?” Leo wondered.

Another beat passed.

Suddenly, Will laughed. The sound echoed throughout the still-filthy bathroom for seconds. Cautiously, Leo grinned back. He peeled himself off of the locker.

“Probably not,” Will told him. “But if it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to see your hot brother in short-shorts. So, I’d say we’re even, Valdez.”

Leo looked like he had something to say about that “hot brother” comment, but was too relieved to care. Percy clapped a hand on each of their shoulders and pushed them together.

“Shake on it," Percy demanded.

“What do you say, Leo? Apology smooch?”

“In your dreams, Solace.”

They shook hands.

“So, are these sinks getting cleaned or what?”

Piper had never seen a bathroom cleaned faster.


	7. The Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> eyes emoji

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh lol crying to mitski is a substitute for sleeping

With the bathroom clean, the tension (mostly) reconciled, and the sun beginning to set, six wildly sleep-deprived demigods collapsed at their respective tables at the dining pavilion smelling like sewage. In an attempt at efficiency, the gang had agreed to let Percy clean the toilets using his powers. It had been a mistake. They’d spent the rest of the day cleaning the floor with their single mop, leaving everyone exhausted. Dinner was uneventful. Piper decided to skip the bonfire.

As Piper trudged to her cabin, dragging her feet in the dirt, Annabeth caught her arm.

“Piper. I, uh… I wanted to ask you something.”

“I’m all yours,” Piper assured her. “Or, at least, whatever parts of me are still conscious at this point.”

“I was wondering if, well…” She lowered her voice as a satyr trotted by. “I was wondering if I could sleep with you tonight.”

Despite her energy level, Piper’s heart did a full tapdance number at that. “Uh…”

“Er--I mean--I just need to spend the night with someone,” she added hastily. “Just… dreams.” She shrugged as if that explained everything.

“Why don’t you ask Percy?” Piper wondered. It came out harsher than she meant it to. She fixed her tone. “Just because he has his own cabin and everything, I mean. Plus, well… he is your boyfriend.”

Annabeth blinked slowly. The exhausted conversation seemed to be taking a toll on each of them. “Percy and I broke up weeks ago.”

“Oh.  _ Oh. _ ” Piper pinched the bridge of her nose as a headache formed. Still, a chunk of ice that had been lodged in her heart began to melt. “Okay, um, we are definitely talking about that tomorrow morning.” She managed a smile. “For now, let’s get you to bed.”

They held each other for support stumbling in the direction of the Aphrodite cabin where Piper could get her things. Dimly, she wondered where they were going to spend the night since they both shared cabins with their siblings. She hoped Annabeth had already thought that through. As they approached, Piper made out someone sitting on the steps out front.  _ Great,  _ she thought,  _ someone else to talk to. I would so rather hold a conversation with this person than pass out on the spot. _

Leo stood up to greet them, and then immediately leaned on the railing for support. Well, at least it was someone just as exhausted as she was. 

“Piper! Oh, uh, hey, Annabeth. Can I talk to you alone--er, Piper, I mean?” He smiled apologetically at Annabeth. Annabeth was too tired to care.

“How can I help you, Leo?”

Leo winced. “Sorry. This is gonna sound stupid.”

“Everything you say sounds stupid.”

“Fair. Well, you know how I just died and all that?”

“I’m aware.”

Leo paused for a moment, swaying on his feet. His eyes unfocused a little. Piper got ready to catch him if he passed out.

“It was… cold.”

“Yeah?”

“Dying.”

“Yeah?”

“The… The room’s cold. The one my bed’s in. In the cabin.”

Piper softened her gaze. She put a hand on his shoulder. “Do you want to sleep in the bunker tonight?”

He nodded.

“Do you want me to come with?”

He nodded.

“... Is it okay if Annabeth comes?”

Leo hesitated, then seemed to come back to himself. He grinned a little and began tapping on his leg as if some energy had returned. Piper wished she could relate.

“Why not? Let’s have a whole slumber party.”

“Did someone say slumber party?”

When Piper turned back to Annabeth, she found that the number of friends waiting for her had multiplied. Jason, Percy, Calypso, and Will had all somehow gravitated to the front of the Aphrodite cabin in the minute and a half she had spent talking with Leo. Piper crossed her arms impatiently. The others seemed to pick up on her mood.

“We never finished talking,” Jason defended.

“I was just saying ‘hi’ to Annabeth,” Percy explained.

“I was looking for Leo,” Calypso confessed.

“And I, uh.” Will looked to the ground, then to the sky, and finally settled on the railing in front of the cabin. “Nice paint job.”

Piper’s headache came back in full force and she couldn’t tell whether it sourced from exhaustion or from how much time she’d spent with these people in the past two days.

“Alright,” Piper sighed. “Let’s have a sleepover.”

Despite her demeanor, Piper found herself relieved at the opportunity to sleep near another warm body. She hadn’t had a full night of good rest since the quest had ended, whether it was due to stress, nightmares, or grief. She promptly changed into a pair of boxers and a hoodie, wrapped herself in a blanket, and grabbed a change of clothes for the next day before heading out to meet the others.

“Piper?” A soft voice called as she left the cabin. Calypso appeared in a pair of striped pajama pants that fell past her ankles and the same camp shirt she’d had on since arriving. Piper liked Calypso, but the girl rivaled Nico di Angelo in the art of stealthy approaches. “Er, sorry. Annabeth let me borrow these, but…” She gestured to the pants. “Do you have something warmer I could wear?”

Piper softened her gaze. “Of course,” she reassured. She took Calypso’s hand, who shuddered at the contact. Piper wasn’t sure if it was from discomfort or the chill evening air. Returning to her dresser, Piper pulled out a fresh Hello Kitty tank-top (she kept it around mostly for ironic value, but it seemed to catch Calypso’s eye, regardless of whether or not she actually knew who Hello Kitty was). She handed over her coziest red sweater and a pair of jeans for the next day.

“Here,” Piper said. “These’ll do for now. I’m sure we can fix you up with some new threads tomorrow, but these will fit you better than Annabeth’s for sure.”

“Threads?”

“Clothes, I mean. C’mon, let me show you to Bunker 9.”

While they walked, Calypso explained how she usually made her own clothes, and how she’d been adjusting to life without the magical assistance she’d grown so used to. Piper made a mental note to introduce her to the Athena and Demeter kids when she described her skills. Ogygia sounded beautiful, and part of Piper couldn’t help but wonder if it had been so bad, as far as curses go. The other part of her felt guilty for wondering; she could sense Calypso’s loneliness and distrust. She didn’t let go of her hand as they walked through the woods, and judging from the death grip Calypso’s calloused hand had on hers, she didn’t mind.

Luckily, the Bunker wasn’t as difficult to find as it would have been a few months ago. During the time Leo, Annabeth, and the Hephaestus cabin had been building the Argo II, the route had become so well-traveled that a defined path had formed. With help from a flashlight, Piper led the way without any trouble, and they arrived within minutes. The door was already open.

Leo seemed to have just arrived and was sweeping up nails and shrapnel from a less hazardous area of floor space. “Hey ladies,” he greeted. “Oh, good, you found shoes.”

Calypso stared down at her new neon sneakers. Piper supposed she’d gotten them from Annabeth. Percy and Jason arrived together.

“Where are your pajamas?” Piper asked.

“Ah, don’t need ‘em.” Leo waved her off.

“Do you at least have a change of clothes?”

“Not sure if you noticed, but I’m already wearing clothes.” He sniffed the inside of his shirt and immediately winced. “Yep, these are fine.”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Way ahead of you,” Jason said to Piper and tossed a bundle of clothes toward Leo, who dropped his broom to catch them.

“Are you serious?”

“You’re welcome. Just put them on.”

Leo scoffed and propped the broom against the wall. “Whatever. I’m gonna go get the cots. Try not to touch anything sharp.” He disappeared behind a shelf.

Annabeth appeared a few moments later in sensible striped pajamas. She had a folded change of clothes tucked under her arm. Will followed soon after, pulling twigs from his hair. Annabeth smiled at Piper.

Piper wrapped an arm around hers. “Leo’s getting the cots,” she explained.

“Ah. Should we help?”

“Nah, he’s still mad about us implying he should shower.”

“Fair.” Annabeth turned to the others. “Hey, nice pajamas, Jackson.”

“Thanks,” Percy said earnestly. He was wearing blue Finding Nemo jammies suited for a really buff eight-year-old, with little fish patterns all along the pants. “Jason got them for me.”

“They’re custom fit,” Jason mumbled.

Piper decided not to ask. Leo emerged in Jason’s pajamas, empty-handed. She was about to ask why, when he tripped on the end of Jason’s massive sweatpants and fell on his face. Piper, Annabeth, and Jason had the decency to cover their mouths, but the rest of them erupted in laughter.

“Not a word,” Leo demanded, picking himself up and dusting off the oversized SPQR tee. He tried rolling up the sweatpants, but they only fell down again.

“Sorry, what was that?” Will mocked. “I couldn’t hear you over the fact that you look like a six-year-old in his dad’s clothes.”

“I could kick you out of this bunker.”

“Maybe, if you could reach my knees.”

"You're only, like, one inch taller than--"

“ _ Anyway, _ ” Annabeth interrupted. “What happened to getting cots?”

“Oh.” Leo scratched the back of his head. “Well, we have enough, but, um… one of them’s occupied?”

Jason frowned. “Did a raccoon get in again?”

“Uh, sort of.” He fidgeted nervously. “Percy, come with?”

Percy reluctantly stopped admiring his pajamas and followed him. “Do I need my sword?”

“Maybe?”

“That’s encouraging.”

The two disappeared behind the shelf. Piper wasn’t that worried; she figured if something really dangerous had found its way back there, Leo would have brought everyone else, or at least asked Jason. She was more concerned with how long it was taking for her to get into bed and sleep for the first time in two days. She nudged Annabeth to sit with her on a nearby workbench while they waited. Annabeth nuzzled her head into Piper’s shoulder and sighed.

The others looked similarly disheveled. Will flopped down on the concrete floor to pick at the hem of his He-Man themed pajama pants and Calypso followed suit, first checking for any stray nails on the floor. Jason stood awkwardly with his hands clasped behind his back, looking anywhere but at Piper. Then, he started to do lunges. Piper wondered if the bunker had been the safest option for their sleepover, especially since Percy and Jason’s cabins were right there. Still, Leo had cots.

Piper didn’t realize she was falling asleep on Annabeth’s head until Leo loudly knocked over a bucket upon his and Percy's return. Percy, who dragged a cot under each arm, managed to catch him before he hit the ground by sticking out a leg, then promptly fell over himself. They landed in a pile. None other than Nico di Angelo stepped out from behind them and picked his way past. He crossed his arms and sat on a nearby workbench, not offering assistance and not bothering to say a word. Percy and Leo managed to pick themselves up.

No one had the courage to speak as Leo and Percy began to assemble the beds. Even Will appeared too thoughtfully and conveniently absorbed in the fluffy strings of his cat-eared hoodie to ask Nico what he had been doing. A few minutes later, Jason was dumb enough to ask.

Nico stared at him. “Have you seen my cabin?” he replied. “Now that I'm staying at camp, it's under renovation.”

“And you didn't think to ask before breaking into my workshop?” Leo snapped.

Nico ignored him. Will was either trying to glare an actual hole through Leo’s face or having a stroke. Piper felt herself dozing off again.

“Cots are ready!” Percy barked hastily.

“Oh, thank the gods,” Annabeth moaned. She collapsed in the nearest one. Piper followed suit right next to her. The beds sat close together since the amount of floor space not covered in shrapnel was limited, but Piper didn't mind the closeness. At least, she didn't mind until Jason and Percy tried to take the same one at the same time and awkwardly doubled back at least thrice, Nico tried to pull his away from the clump even though there wasn't nearly enough space, Leo took the bed right next to her with his feet right next to her head, Will kicked Leo and Nico from the middle bed whenever they tried to approach, and Calypso tried to reach the other middle bed without climbing over anyone, failing miserably. Piper shoved her head in her pillow.

_ “Guys, _ ” she snapped. “Will you  _ please  _ just pick a bed?”

In her exhaustion, she didn't realize she'd been charmspeaking until everyone shuffled into bed immediately. Calypso kicked Percy in the chest on her way to the middle. Nico settled down right next to Leo, and realized his mistake too late. Leo only stood to turn off the lights as an afterthought.

“Goodnight, guys.”

Finally, Piper slept.

Piper woke up about thirty minutes later, as exhausted as she’d ever been. Dark, heavy silence pressed around her. In the dim light, she saw the faces of her sleeping friends and the stillness of the bunker. She sat up to scan the area for what could have woken her up when a whimper brought her attention back down.

Annabeth curled on her side, clenching Piper’s pillow in her fist. Her knees nearly reached her wobbling chin, and even in the dark, Piper could see how much she trembled.

“ _ Dreams, _ ” Annabeth had said.

Piper knew she wasn't the only one with nightmares. Everyone in the room had seen at least one near-death experience in the past week, and countless in their lives. Observing the room, she could see it in them--the way Jason slept like a soldier, arms at his sides and brow furrowed; the way Percy trembled and mumbled into his pillow; the way Calypso curled with her hands over her face, like she was scared to be seen or touched; the way Will had twisted his limbs into a pretzel, moving his lips like he couldn't speak; the way Nico stiffened his body like he had died and rigor mortis had set in; the way Leo clung to the nearest object, which happened to be Nico's arm, like a lifeline and muttered incoherently into his shoulder…

The way Annabeth flinched away from her touch.

Drawing back, Piper laid her head on her pillow, staring at Annabeth's face. They rested only inches apart. Piper didn't touch her for fear of scaring her more. Instead, she talked.

“Annabeth,” she murmured. “You're asleep. No one's here to hurt you, or your friends.”

No response. Annabeth continued to tremble.

“You're safe,” Piper tried. “The quest is over, and we're all safe. You get to relax now. You're going to college in New Rome in the Fall, remember?”

Annabeth shifted, but otherwise looked no less distressed. Piper wondered how she'd managed to put the all-powerful goddess of the Earth to sleep with her voice if she couldn't even guide her friend out of a nightmare.

“It's just me, it's Piper.” She closed her eyes. “I… I don't really want you to go to college, Annabeth. But I know you want to, so maybe that’ll bring you some comfort. I know you won't stop running yourself ragged, and you'll stay up way too late studying. But it'll be normal, and I want that for you. I want you to feel okay.”

Tears pricked at the corners of Piper's eyes. Nothing broke the night silence but her friends’ soft breathing and her own whispers.

“I know it's selfish of me to miss you so much, and I know you don't feel the same way. I care about you so much, it scares me sometimes.”

“I care about you.” The words caught in her throat. “And you're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay. I love you so much. I love you so, so much. Everyone's safe, I promise, but please don't wake up right now. We're gonna be okay.”

Piper realized she'd buried her hands in Annabeth's hair. Annabeth didn't pull back. Her breathing evened and her features softened. Piper didn't let go for a few minutes.

After a spell, Piper carefully pulled her hands from Annabeth's face, taking her hand instead. With a glance, she realized that everyone had calmed down. Jason rolled on his side, face relaxed; Percy stilled and drooled quietly into his pillow; Calypso’s hands curled at her chest, a soft smile visible; Will detangled himself, face slack and still buried a bit in his oversized hoodie; Nico’s tense shoulders relaxed, so he looked more like a fresh corpse than a day-old stiff; and Leo was back to snoring lightly, an arm still draped over Nico’s torso and a face still buried in his shoulder. Piper deemed that a problem she'd let Leo face on his own in the morning.

Cautiously, Piper shifted so her back was to Annabeth, who then buried her face in Piper's neck. She relaxed into her touch, savoring it. Piper closed her eyes and tried not to think.

In a bed full of people, Piper had never felt more alone.


	8. The Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> willeico rights!

Piper wasn’t the first to wake up. She’d slept surprisingly well, dreaming of nothing but the warm body against her. She only stirred when Annabeth pulled away from her back to stand, and the cold air hit her neck. With a low whine, Piper rolled over and offered a sleepy smile, which Annabeth returned as she brushed her hair. The only ones still asleep were Leo, Nico, and Will, none of whom seemed ready to stir anytime soon. Leo and Nico hadn’t moved since Piper had fallen asleep, Leo’s arm still thrown across Nico’s chest. Will had shifted so that he was pressed against the nearest source of heat, Leo, with his back to the rest of the beds. A piece of Leo’s hair was in his mouth. Piper found herself smiling at the sight.

Shaking the fuzz from her brain, Piper stood, stretched, and ducked behind a shelf to change. She tried to forget the warmth of Annabeth’s body, soft against her back. She took several minutes after pulling on her jeans to brush her hair and collect herself before returning, and by the time she did, Annabeth, Jason, Percy, and Calypso had already dressed and gathered outside. The sun began to rise.

“Hey, should we wake them up?” Jason sat cross-legged on a rock. “Breakfast will be happening soon, and they’re gonna think we snuck out again.”

“Nah, let ‘em sleep,” Percy said. “It’s not like there’s another bathroom to clean. Besides, I’m pretty sure our friend Will hasn’t had a nap since the war ended.”

“No offense to Will, but I’d rather not take that chance.” Annabeth turned and started back towards the door when Piper grabbed her arm. Annabeth faltered.

“Quit worrying,” Piper said. “Come watch the sunrise.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Annabeth gave in. She sat on a rock next to Piper to watch the sky change color through the dense trees. Annabeth’s messy bun opened up her soft, tan features and piercing grey eyes. Golden light danced towards them, tickling the ends of their sneakers, and creeping upward. Soon, her skin was awash in yellow light, and Piper had to force herself not to stare. Annabeth’s arm brushed hers. Tentatively, she took her hand, and Piper’s pulse skyrocketed. She became increasingly aware of Annabeth’s eyes on her. She turned to meet her gaze. 

Annabeth’s face was inches away. She licked her lips.

“I heard--”

“Mmf. Hey, Dad,” a voice yawned behind them.

Piper almost knocked heads with Annabeth whirling around. Will stood rubbing his eyes, hair sticking in every conceivable direction. He had on a pair of black jeans that absolutely belonged to Nico. When he pulled a hand from his face, he noticed them staring.

“Uh.” Will gestured vaguely to the sun, squinting. “Cause my dad… the sun…” He coughed. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Not at all!” Annabeth insisted at the same time as Piper assured, “No, of course not.” A spike of pain shot into Piper’s heart when she tore her hand away.

“... Okay.” Will slung his fluffy hoodie over a shoulder to reveal a white Raisin Bran brand t-shirt with the iconic smiling sun mascot in the middle. Piper considered asking where he’d gotten it. “I’m gonna see if I can make it back down in time for inspection. Unlike some of you, I have a cabin to direct.”

“Me too.” Annabeth stood quickly enough to get a head rush. “Piper, you can keep Calypso from bashing any rocks over Percy’s head.”

“... and deal with whatever Nico’s going to do when he finds Leo spooning him,” Will added. “I’d also like to leave before that happens.”

“Oh--” Piper faltered. The two were already halfway towards the path to camp. “... kay.”

She realized she was standing like an idiot. 

Piper considered her options. Unlike most counselors, Piper had a pretty reliable second-in-command, and Drew would be fine leading the cabin to breakfast without her. She could stick around and watch whatever was about to ensue between Calypso and Percy over on the other side of the door. Annabeth had been right--the two were deep in discussion and Calypso looked about ready to throw hands. Jason stood helplessly aside. Piper approached so she could hear them.

“...and just  _ left  _ me there!” Calypso’s face was flushed, and she kept throwing her arms around in wild gestures like she wanted to slap Percy with one of them. “Do you have any idea what it was like there? To be left, over and over again? To have love itself used as a weapon against me, as a joke?”

“Calypso, I swear, I never meant--”

“No, of course you didn’t!”

Somewhere inside the bunker, Piper heard a dull thud, followed by a scream.

On second thought, maybe Drew could use her help. Piper flew down the path to catch Annabeth and Will.

It only took a minute before Piper heard their soft voices and steady pace. She was about to call at them to wait up when she heard their conversation.

“... and I know how you feel,” Annabeth was saying. “Sure, I was part of the quest, but sometimes it feels like everyone got a head start on getting to know each other before I joined. When I finally did, I was too busy following my mom or falling into hell itself to hang out. It doesn’t help that I don’t have any flashy powers to compensate.”

Will scoffed. “Compensate for what? Your insane tactical ability? Your resilience? The fact that you could kill me in one hit if you felt like it, with no weapons and a hand behind your back? And don’t get me started on flashy powers--I carry around band-aids and whistle occasionally.”

Piper felt wrong eavesdropping. She opened her mouth to call to them, but nothing came out. Instead, she found herself slowing her pace so they couldn’t see her.

“About the band-aids… I never thanked you,” Annabeth said.

“Huh?”

“The Titan War. You saved me.”

Will paused, then laughed in recognition.

“That was two years ago; I was thirteen!”

“And I was bleeding out!”

“Well, no problem, I guess. You should know that was about the second time I’d ever done that and I passed out, like, two minutes later.”

“How noble.”

They walked in silence for a few seconds, and Piper prepared to make her presence known. Before she could, Will and Annabeth turned a corner, out of sight. A sharp snap, followed by a thud and a shout echoed through the trees before she could catch up. Piper raced to see what had happened.

“Oh, gods, oh,  _ fuck. _ ”

Annabeth lay prone at the bottom of a steep hill she’d apparently tripped and slid down, cradling her ankle. A mangled tree root at the edge of the hill stuck out. Piper was about to race down to help her, but Will reached her first. Stunned, Piper lurked behind a tree and watched.

“Here, here.” Will’s voice slipped into something cool and professional, radiating calm. “Move your hand. Can I see?”

Annabeth complied as Will dug through a first-aid kit. She hissed. “Fuck, that’s the one I broke fighting Arachne.”

“It’s broken,” he confirmed. “But it’s a clean break--should be no problem.” He offered her a square of ambrosia, then shot her an apologetic glance. “You might want to grab onto something.”

Annabeth settled for a tree root. Piper wished it was her hand. She let out a muted scream when Will snapped her ankle back into place.

“There it is!” Will gave Annabeth a few moments to recover before cleaning the wound with nectar and handing her a washcloth. Piper wondered where he kept all those supplies. Annabeth gratefully accepted and dabbed her forehead with it. “Worst part’s over. Now hold still for a second.”

Annabeth obeyed. Will took a deep breath and placed his hands on Annabeth’s ankle. He began to sing, clear and soft in Greek--a prayer to Apollo, Piper thought dimly. His voice rang rough and melancholy, filling Piper’s body with calm like easing into a hot bath, and she had to wonder if this was what her charmspeak felt like. If so, she’d been missing out. She could have imagined it from the distance, but a soft glow seemed to envelop Annabeth’s wound.

Will closed his eyes when he finished, leaning on his hands for support. Annabeth flexed her ankle experimentally. Her eyes widened, but not in pain. Tentatively, she stood and put weight on it. She lifted her other foot to balance on her bad one and still didn’t stumble.

“Woah.”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me again how you wish you had flashy powers?”

Will didn’t answer and instead struggled to his feet. He seemed to have taken a liking to the tree Annabeth had gripped onto earlier, leaning heavily against it. Piper hoped for both their sakes that there wasn’t a nymph associated with that one. 

“Seriously, I haven’t even been able to put all my weight on it since…” Annabeth frowned. “You okay?”

“Un-huh,” Will eloquently replied. “Yeah, just… been doing a lot of that lately. It’s kind of draining. But ‘m good. Let’s go.”

Will pulled away from the tree, and Annabeth had the decency not to laugh when he almost fell on his face. She offered her shoulder for support.

“Maybe you should start taking your own advice about overusing powers, Dr. Solace.”

“Gods, you sound like Nico.” 

“Never heard that one before.” Annabeth looped an arm under his. “Maybe your boyfriend has a point.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Piper couldn’t tell if exhaustion or sadness weighted Will’s voice.

“Okay. Hypocrite.”

Piper didn’t realize how creepy she’d been acting until Annabeth and Will moved on and she remained behind her tree at the top of the hill. Haltingly, she pulled herself from the tree and slid down to the path. Did she make a habit of stalking now? Why hadn’t she come down to help? 

Piper ran to catch up.

“Annabeth!” They slowed to meet her. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Annabeth greeted.

“Hey.” Piper coughed. “Um, I… heard someone yell. Is everything alright?”

“Just tripped and fell. We’re both fine.” The half-lie slipped through Annabeth’s lips so easily. “We'll miss inspection at this point, though.”

Piper frowned against her will. Did Annabeth distrust her, or was she just trying to get moving in time for breakfast?

“Guess so,” she said. “Are you sure you’re both okay?”

“‘S fine,” Will finally mumbled. 

“Yep,” Annabeth confirmed. “We’re good.” 

They moved on in silence, Annabeth not bothering to explain why she was half-dragging Will like a sleepy toddler. Not that Piper needed or deserved an explanation, but it would have been nice. As they approached camp, Will pulled away from Annabeth’s support and stumbled in the direction of the infirmary.

“Well, this has been delightful, but I’d better get back to work. It was an honor cleaning toilets with you ladies.”

He barely made it three yards away before Nico shadow-traveled in front of him with Leo, whose arm was clenched in his hand. Will yelped and jumped a full foot back.

“Hi,” Nico said.

“H… N…” Will’s breath shook. “Hades _ ,  _ di Angelo. Did you  _ hear  _ me when I said ‘no underworld bullshit’ the first million times? And what the hell did you do to Leo?”

Leo looked about to vomit. “’M all good.”

“I do it for attention.” Nico shrugged. He let Will drag him and Leo to the infirmary like it was a regular occurrence. Leo managed a peace sign in Piper’s direction before the three of them disappeared behind the door.

“Well,” Annabeth remarked, “they seem busy. Let's get some breakfast.”

Drew had covered for her for inspection, as expected, and seemed all too disappointed upon Piper's return. She didn't bother explaining where she'd been. She wished she had more of an appetite.

Most repairs were complete, and while the infirmary hadn't quite died down, most of the camp was back to its regular routine of lessons, games, and training. Annabeth had mentioned something about helping Jason with shrine designs, and Piper found the two hard at work at the base of Half-Blood Hill, papers strewn on the grass. Percy had somehow made it back alive and was directing a sword fighting lesson with some younger campers, though he still looked shaken. Calypso had found her way to some of Demeter's children and was giving some gardening pointers to Miranda Gardiner. Leo and Nico, of course, were busy being fussed over by Will, who undoubtedly had more than a few patients besides them on his hands. Piper considered her options.

“Hey, Piper!” A voice from the basketball court cut into her thoughts. “We're one girl short--wanna play?”

That was how Piper spent the day: playing basketball on a team with Lou Ellen Blackstone and Travis Stoll, against Jake Manson and a couple of new kids. One was called Xavier, a newly-claimed Demeter kid, and the other, Mira, had been in the Hermes cabin for a few weeks. The game was low-key, and Piper found herself having fun--even if Lou Ellen kept threatening to turn Jake into a pig, for whatever reason.

Leo appeared sometime in the late afternoon.

“Hey, guys. Got room for one more?”

“Sorry, bro,” Jake told him. “We've got an even number.”

“Ah, seventh wheel, got it.” Leo flopped down on a bench to watch, not looking particularly offended. “Wouldn't want to play with a snitch on my team, anyway,” he mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Huh? Nothing.” Leo grinned. Piper called for a timeout and sat down next to him.

“I thought Will would have you guys under quarantine,” Piper said.

“Oh, that? Yeah, well, Zombie Boy got the worst of it. Forbidden Underworld shenanigans and all that.”

“Do  _ not  _ call me that.”

Piper would have jumped if she'd been standing. Nico emerged from the shadows.

“Maybe,” Leo scolded, unfazed, “if you didn't want to be called Zombie Boy, you wouldn't try to turn me into a fucking zombie! In my own bunker! After breaking in!”

“You invaded my space.”

“Pfft, well I sure felt pretty invaded when you lifted me up by the shirt and did that… like… teleport-thingy into the middle of camp without warning me.”

“It's called  _ shadow-travel," _ Nico growled, _ " _ and how was I supposed to know you would throw up on my shoes afterward?”

Piper's eyes flew back and forth between them like she was watching a ping-pong match. They were bickering, but the battle was lighthearted like they were an old, married couple. Piper felt like she'd missed something.

“So, you guys are… cool now?” Piper asked. They both avoided eye contact.

“Like… yeah, I guess,” Leo mumbled.

“Will's annoying, but he's an annoyingly good mediator,” Nico remarked.

“Hey, where is Will?” Piper figured if Nico was out lurking in the shadows, pulling Underworld magic all day, Will wouldn't be far behind, calling him stupid.

“Passed out after overusing his dumb healing powers,” Nico said. Piper raised a brow. “I… may or may not have helped. Hades. God of dreams, and all.”

“Holy Hephaestus, is there anything you can't do?” Leo mumbled.

Nico blinked at him. “Did you just say ‘Holy Hephaestus’ out loud? Like, as an expression?”

Piper interrupted before Leo could respond. “I'd better go clean up before dinner,” she said.

“Yeah, go shower, stinky,” Leo accused.

“Dummy,” Piper shot back.

“Poo-brain.”

“Diaper-head.”

“S… Stinky.”

Piper ruffled his hair condescendingly before setting off towards the showers. She  _ smelled  _ like she'd been playing basketball in the sun all day. By the time she was clean and freshly clothed, the dinner bell had rung.

Piper made it halfway towards the dining pavilion, stomach growling, when a flash of light crossed her peripheral vision. Campers already gathered at the pavilion began to call out and draw weapons. She looked at the sky.

Sure enough, a Roman chariot raced into its descent, growing closer by the second; the SPQR banner was unmistakable. On the hills, a familiar flash of beige caught Piper’s eye. A grin spread across her face.

“Guys,” she called to Annabeth and Jason, who had stopped in confusion on their way to the pavilion. “Hazel and Frank are back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok i KNOW ive had like a thing with ending chapters with like "she had never __" or whatever but thats really stupid im cutting that shit out


	9. The Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning for drug use!

Dinner was amazing.

It had nothing to do with the food, though Piper’s tofu enchilada could have made any meal the best in her life. After a chaotic, warm welcome and a bear hug from Frank tight enough for Leo to produce a whine like a deflating balloon, the seven of them, Nico, and Calypso sat together and ate while they exchanged stories. Leo and Calypso ran through their side of the story once more, and Piper caught them up on everything else going on at camp. Hazel told them about how smoothly Camp Jupiter was running since repairs had finished, and Frank discussed his new life as praetor.

“And Nico,” Hazel added, eyes sparkling. “Reyna wouldn’t let us leave until I promised to give you a hug for her.”

“Um.” Nico’s voice was small. “I’m gonna go get Will.”

He retreated.

“He’ll come around,” Percy assured her. Hazel didn’t look offended. Piper supposed she had grown used to it.

Nico returned with Will by the time they had gathered at the bonfire. Will looked even more exhausted after a thirty-minute nap, but led the singalong anyway. Piper hadn’t realized how strange it had been not to have a couple in their group until she saw Hazel and Frank huddled together by the firelight, hand in hand. It had only been a few days, but Piper felt their group dynamic had shifted significantly. They weren’t just three absorbed couples and their annoying little brother anymore--they were a group of friends, all involved in each other a healthy amount. Plus, in addition to the seven of them, they had Nico, Calypso, Will, and the whole camp behind them. Maybe it was just the lack of danger, but Piper liked it better this way. 

After the bonfire, Annabeth pulled Will aside and spoke in a hushed tone. Piper stood with Leo until her curiosity got the best of her, and she trained her ears on them.

“Wow… wow… gay rights, Annabeth. Wait, right now?”

Piper could practically hear Annabeth’s eyes rolling. “Yes, right now--just not right here. We’ll go to the woods.”

“Uh… the woods infested with monsters? The woods no one is supposed to go in alone, or at all when it’s dark? Those woods?”

“Yeah, pussy.” A few seconds of silence passed. Finally, Annabeth reached into her pocket and showed him something, discreetly. Piper couldn’t see due to the angle, but Will looked impressed.

“Who’s your dealer?”

“Like I’d tell you.”

“C’mon.”

“Maybe I grow it myself.”

“Maybe I’d believe you if I didn’t remember the time you watched the flowers in my cabin for a week and you killed them all. Even Kayla’s cactus.”

“Maybe that was a front.”

“Maybe we should get back to the fire before someone thinks we’re dealing or fucking.”

“Maybe so.”

Annabeth turned on her heels and rejoined the group, bounding straight to Piper. Piper tried to pretend she hadn’t been listening, but Annabeth gave her an amused smile like she knew all along. She couldn’t stop the heat that rose to her face when Annabeth threw an arm around her shoulder and grinned.

“Hey guys, follow me for a bit. I think we should have our own little reunion party.”

Frank ruined the moment. “Sounds great, Annabeth.” He turned to Leo and whispered conspicuously, cupped hand facing the wrong direction. “Is she finally gonna kill us?”

Leo ignored him, seeming to catch on. He rubbed his hands together. “You know, I could use a breath of fresh air. Let’s get out of here, shall we?”

“I never know what's going on with you people,” Calypso sighed.

The ten of them--Annabeth and Piper leading the way, Will and Leo close behind, Percy and Jason hand in hand, Hazel and Frank following uncertainly, and Nico and Calypso trailing behind--slipped away from the campfire, leaving Will’s brother Austin to happily take over the singalong. The sun was almost below the horizon as Annabeth led them to the woods, finally stopping just a short walk past the edge of the forest, close enough that they (probably) wouldn’t get lost, and far enough that they couldn’t possibly be seen from camp. It was even darker under the cover of the trees. Piper could barely see the roots beneath her feet.

“Do we want a fire?” Leo asked, lighting a finger. In the light, Piper found that they stood in a small clearing, and Annabeth had already pulled out the blunt.

“No,” Annabeth insisted. “It’ll only attract monsters.”

Nico, who had already gotten comfortable against a tree trunk, drew his sword and set it on the leaves beside him for accessibility. “Let them come.”

Piper was too intimidated to argue with that. Leo lit the fire.

Annabeth lit the blunt.

* * *

  
  


“Why do you hate me?” Leo asked.

“Huh?” Piper’s head felt like a balloon.

“Not you, stupid.” He slapped her arm halfheartedly. “Nico. Death Baby.”

Only Piper, Annabeth, Will, Leo, and Nico remained. Frank had finally caught up on what they were doing and opted out after a few minutes since he wasn’t supposed to smoke with a binder on. Hazel walked him down after confessing that she’d had bad experiences with drugs anyway. Seeing them leave, Calypso had remembered that she had no place to sleep and decided she’d rather sort out that issue with the only two sane, sober people present than with a bunch of stoned teenagers. Around half an hour later, Jason, who had insisted he’d done this before, grew so dizzy he got sick, and Percy took him to his cabin. The five of them sat in a circle around the dying fire, leaning against tree trunks and each other, passing the shrinking blunt between them. 

“I don’t hate you,” Nico murmured. He had slid down the tree so he was half lying down, sword still loosely gripped in his hand. Even if a monster did find them, Piper didn’t really think he was as ready to fight as he had been.

Will giggled and took a hit. “Never heard you say that to anyone before.” He offered Nico the last hit. “Here.”

Nico took it thoughtfully, then frowned. He rolled his head towards Leo.

“Did you just call me Death Baby?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

Annabeth sighed heavily after a long period of silence.

“You okay?” Piper asked.

“Mm-hmm.” Annabeth stretched, eyes trained on the stars through the branches. “Just thinking.”

Piper smiled. “Me too.”

“Blunt’s gone,” Leo belatedly acknowledged.

“ _ You’re  _ gone,” Will remarked, then erupted in a fit of laughter that seemed to last several hours.

“You’re gone-r,” Leo giggled back.

“Maybe, but I’m cuter.”

“I’ll kill both of you,” Nico muttered. They both laughed harder.

“What are we doing?” Annabeth murmured, just loud enough for Piper to hear.

Piper thought for a moment. “Smoking weed.”

“No, I mean…” Annabeth shifted so she faced Piper, head propped up by a fist. “What are we doing? Us?”

Piper couldn’t answer, because suddenly Annabeth’s piercing grey eyes were the only things in the world. She forgot how to speak.

“What?” Annabeth whispered. Piper realized she was staring.

“I like you,” Piper said.

Annabeth laughed breathlessly. “You’re stoned,” she said. “I like you, too.”

“No,” Piper insisted. Suddenly this was the most important thing in the world. “I mean… I mean…” She faltered. “You ever like someone? Maybe… more than you think you should?”

Annabeth looked away.

“What are we, middle schoolers?” Her tone lacked humor.

“Maybe it’d be easier if we were,” Piper grumbled. Her heart sank. She didn’t even know what she was saying anymore. “Just forget it,” she said, louder. “Sorry.”

Annabeth’s gaze still bore into her face. After what could have been minutes or seconds, Piper managed to tear her eyes away.

“Piper?”

“Yeah, Annabeth?”

“I think like you.”

Piper’s sunken heart leaped back into her throat. She wondered if it was possible for marijuana to give someone a heart attack.

“Wow. Uh, Annabeth?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I like you, too.”

This time, Annabeth laughed. “You think? Piper, you’re the daughter of the goddess of love. How--”

She didn’t get to finish before Piper kissed her.

Annabeth tasted like home. Her lips were chapped, the taste of ranch dressing lingered on her breath, and, for all her wisdom, she couldn’t seem to figure out how to tilt her head so her nose wouldn’t mash against Piper’s quite so much; she was perfect. After a few dreadful seconds, Annabeth moved her lips and kissed back. Warmth blossomed in Piper’s chest. She could have stayed there forever, drinking in the feeling of her, if she didn’t need to breathe.

Gulping in the smoke-filled air, Piper pulled away. Annabeth stared wide-eyed as if uncomprehending.

“You--”

“Yeah.”

“And I--”

“Yep.”

“About time,” Nico grumbled.

_ Oh.  _ Piper had forgotten they weren’t alone. Annabeth blushed deeply, and Piper found herself laughing at her. Only embers remained of the fire. Nico still slumped against his tree trunk, with Will now snoring on his shoulder, and Leo perched on a low branch above him. Vaguely, Piper wondered how Leo had climbed up there so quietly. This image presented itself as spectacularly funny in Piper’s head, and soon, she found herself cackling into Annabeth’s shoulder. 

“Do I need to get you to bed?” Annabeth chuckled, rubbing her back uncertainly.

“No, I-I…” Piper gulped in a breath. “Why haven’t we done that sooner?”

“Well, you’re stupid,” Annabeth explained, “and I’m bad at flirting.”

Piper choked. “You were  _ flirting _ ?”

“I was trying to!”

“Leo…” Nico moaned. "Quit it.”

Piper turned back to the boys. Leo was swinging his feet back and forth and fiddling with some gears from his perch, muttering to himself. A few nails dropped from his loose grip onto Nico and Will in an irritating shower. Will nuzzled further into Nico’s shoulder, but Nico looked ready to start swinging his sword again. As high as she was, Piper thought Annabeth may have had a point about getting back to their cabins. She stood dizzily and, not really thinking about it, grabbed Leo’s ankle.

“Get down, dummy.”

“No.”

“Get down or I’ll pull you.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“I’ll do it.”

“No, you won’t.”

Piper did it. Unsurprisingly, Leo lost his balance easily. Piper managed to duck so he landed face-first in the pile of embers instead of on her. Nico followed Piper’s example and shoved Will violently off his shoulder. He fell against the leaves at the same time as Leo dragged himself up, wiping hot coals from his face.

“Get up, idiot,” Nico said.

“Mmmmm,” Will said.

“Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey, Will.”

“Nnn.”

“I think I just cut my face on something,” Leo remarked. He stuck out his tongue. “The’s buhd on mah to’gue.”

“Hhg? Oh.” Will spat out a leaf. “I have uh… first-aid kit.”

“Hi, Will,” Nico said.

“Oh. Nevermind, it was just spit. Haha.” Leo wiped his face on his shirt.

Will collapsed again.

Nico sighed heavily and tipped his head back. He dragged himself to his feet and hoisted Will up by the underarms. Will lolled against him, and Nico had to kick him to get him to support his own weight. Blinking out of a daze, Piper offered Leo an arm, which he gratefully accepted before he left her side to harass Nico. Annabeth patted Piper’s shoulder as if making sure she was still there. 

“Well, this has been fun,” Annabeth said. “Time for bed. Definitely.”

The five of them trudged back to camp, shivering from the chill that had settled on the night. Poor Nico dragged Will along on his own, while Leo, instead of helping, clung onto his other arm. Piper held Annabeth’s hand both for warmth and to ground herself. Struck by how cold it was, she shoved her other hand in her pocket, only to find a crumpled, discarded piece of paper. Incredulous, she pulled it out.

“What’s that?” Annabeth wondered.

“It’s…”

_ Another daughter of mine wrote this a very long time ago. _

“It’s something my mom gave me. After the quest.” Piper stopped in her tracks. “I… I forgot all about it.”

_ I suggest you read it. _

“What does it say?”

Piper uncrumpled the yellow page, tensing in apprehension. Something was written on the page in faded black ink. She scanned it over once, then twice. Finally, her shoulders slumped.

“It’s in Greek,” she realized. 

Annabeth immediately looked curious. “Let me,” she insisted and took the paper.

Annabeth held it to her face, brow furrowed. Piper waited impatiently.

“What’s it say?”

“It’s…” Annabeth frowned, maybe due to the lack of light. “It’s a fragment from Sappho.”

_ Another daughter of mine… _

“Huh.” Piper shook her head. “But what’s it say?”

“Um…” Annabeth blushed. “‘May you sleep on the… breast of your… tender woman companion.’”

Piper laughed breathlessly. She swayed on her feet.

“That’s it? Aphrodite plucked me out of the sky in the middle of life and death to… tell me to get a girlfriend and nap on her?”

“I guess so.”

“Well…” Piper crumpled the poem up again and took Annabeth’s hand. “I guess I have step one covered.”

Annabeth’s skin went hot. “I suppose so,” she confirmed. “Care to join me for step two?”

Piper grinned. “I’d love to.”

That night, Piper and Annabeth stayed alone in Bunker 9.

And Piper slept on the breast of her tender woman companion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is NOT the end of this story! i'm ending this work and making it into a series for a few reasons:  
> 1.) it was getting long and 9 is my favorite number  
> 2.) once piper and annabeth got together i couldn't really see the point in writing from piper's perspective anymore  
> 3.) it was becoming more willeico centric anyway and i'm a kinnie so i'll jump at any excuse to write from will's pov  
> sorry this ending is a little anticlimactic lol anyway stay tuned for the next segment of this


End file.
